The Dundee contractor installed a wind turbine at its Harrison Road home a number of years ago, and in 2020 fitted a number of electric vehicle charging points, which has speeded up the process of electrifying its fleet of vehicles.

McGill employees are currently using three electric cars and one electric van to visit clients and travel to sites right across Scotland. The company intends to continually grow the fleet over the next few years, with the number of electric vehicles in use to double by the end of 2021.

Managing director Errol Lawrie said: “The Scottish Government’s commitment to zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2045 is a signal that all organisations need to make real changes, starting right now.

“The construction industry is going to bear a lot of the responsibility for cutting emissions, as domestic and commercial buildings will all need to be designed and built sustainably. As well as that, existing infrastructure will have to be decarbonised; for example, as replacement renewable technologies become more mainstream, we are installing increasing numbers of air and ground source heat pumps to replace the traditional boiler in homes and public sector buildings.

“McGill is already known as a company with expertise and proven track in renewables such as solar panels and air source heat pumps. It’s also hugely important to us to play our part in building a greener society. That’s why we’re developing our zero carbon strategy, and we’ll be proud to share it with our customers once it’s complete.

“For now, it feels great to begin making real changes such as our wind turbine and electric vehicle fleet, as well as putting plans into place for more initiatives such as installing solar panels and a solar battery system. All of these changes really add up to a genuine commitment to change how we operate as a business.”